thompson



W. J. THOMPSON.

FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

APPLICATIO N FILED APR. 17, 191].

Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l W. J. THOMPSON.

FIRE EXTINGUISHER. APPLICATION FILED APR.17. 1912.

mmssm I Patented NOV. 4, 919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- PATENT FFTE WILLIAM JACOB THOMPSON, OF WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 41, 1919.

Application filed April 17, 1917. Serial No. 162,640.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM JAcoB THOMPSON, of the city of \Vinnipeg, 1n the Province of Manitoba, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Extinguishers, of which the following is the specification.

The invention relates to improvements in fire extinguishers especially to that class wherein fire extinguishing liquid such as calcium chlorid solution is used and the objects of the invention are primarily to provide an extinguisher that can be relied upon at all times, that is to say, one which does not deteriorate in value when not in use and further to provide an extinguisher which can be easily and instantly set in action and further one which will give an outward sign, that is, visibly show ifit is out of order.-

A further object of the invention is to provide a fire extinguisher wherein there can be no possibility of explosion and-wherein the highest pressures developed in the appliance are at the instant of setting into action.

A still further object is to provide a machine wherein at the time of in-act-ion no air can combine with the solution to cause rust or corrosion in the metal parts.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine wherein the fire extinguishing liquid is expelled by a liberated compressed fluid and not by a. gas evolved at the time the appliance is put into action.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an extinguisher which can be readily recharged.

With the'a'bove' objects in view the invention consists essentially in an outer container for the fire extinguishing liquid, an inner container or flask for fluid under pressure, a

' removable cap for the outer container, a hose leading from the outer container, a plunger carried by the cap of the outer container, means for actuating the plunger to pierce the inner container and liberate the compressed fluid and means for locking the plunger against movement until liberated by the breaking of a seal. the parts being arranged and constructed as hereinafter more particularly described and later pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:'-

Figure 1 represents a side view of the complete fire extinguisher.

Fig. 2 represents a vertical sectional view centrally through the same, certain parts being shown in side elevation.

Fig. 3 represents a plan view.

Fig. 4 represents a horizontal sectional view through the extinguisher.

Fig. 5 represents an enlarged detailed 'vertical sectional View through the lower nipple.

Fig. 6 represents an enlarged detailed plan view of the seal and adjacent parts.

Fig. 7 represents a plan View of the top nipple and adjoining parts.

Fig. 8 represents an enlarged detailed vertical sectional view through the top nipple and adjacent parts.

' Fig. 9 shows a method of filling and sealing the flask under pressure.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

1 represents an outer container or receptacle which has the ends thereof 2 and 3 more or less rounded and the lower end carrying a flange like extension providing a base or stand 4. The upper end of the container terminates in an interiorly screw threaded upstanding neck 5 which is normally closed by a screw cap 6. The cap carries a plurality of hangers 7 which support an interiorly threaded collar 8 which is axially centered on the longitudinal axis of the container; and alined with it and formed integral with the bottom of the container I provide a socket 9. 10 is a plunger preferably formed from steel and fitted at the lower end with a case hardened piercing point 11 and having the upper end'forked and spanning an operating lever 12 to which it is fastened pivotally by a pivot pin 13.

The plunger is slidably mounted in the cap, a large bearing surface being provided to carry it and it extends through a suitable packing gland 14 located on the top side of the cap. One end of the lever is pivotally secured by a cross pin 15 to a pair of upstanding brackets 16 and 17 fastened to the accidental discharge and it is further neces cap While the other end is provided with a hand piece 18 whereby the lever can be readily pressed down to actuate the plunger.

Side guides 19 and 20. are secured to the cap and pass to the sides of the lever and a bent flat spring 21 is fastened to the cap and extends beneath the free end of the lever holding it normally in an upper position with the plunger seated against. the internal shoulder 22 provided.

. It is desirable in an appliance of this kind that the actuating lever be locked normally againstmovement to prevent tampering or 'sary that the locking means be easily and quickly released and be in a position such that it is visible for quick action in event of fire.

The means employed .in the present instance for locking the lever comprises a swinging bar 23 pivotally secured to the 1 lever at 24 and having the lower end thereof butting against the top. side of the ca and received within a substantially open-si ed or U-shaped socket 25 provided on the cap. The lower end of the bar is locked against outward swing and within the socket by a wire 26 fittedwlth a seal 27 From this arrangement it will be seen that the hand piece cannot be pressed down owing to the bar and it cannot be raised up owing to the shoulder so that the lever is virtually locked until the seal is broken, the wire removed and the bar allowed to swing out. For quick action a coiled spring 28 is attached to the bar, this spring having a tendency to instantly pull the lower end of the bar out of the socket the instant the wire is removed.

Within the, outer container I locate an inner container or flask 29 which contains a fluid such as air under pressure and hermetically sealed within the flask.

The ends of the flask are rounded and provided with extending screw threaded nipples 30 and 31, the nipple 30 being adapted to screw into the collar -8 prior to the closing of the bap, whilethe nipple 31 is adapted to receive a screw cap 32 which in the'inserted position of the flask is mounted in the socket 9. The top nipple is fitted with an outlet duct 33 which has the lower or in nermost end thereof contracted to provide.

a limited air outlet port 34 for the air from the flask. The u per end of the said nipple '41 represents an outlet pipe passing down wardly within the outer container and fitted at the lower end and adjacent the'bottom 2 'of the container with an inlet opening 42. The upper end of the pipe projects through the top of the outer casing and connects with a length of hose 43-fitted with a nozzle 44.

For filling the flask and sealing it under pressure, the appliance preferred comprises a body casting 45 which is screw threaded, as indicated 'at 46, to receive the nipple 31 and is provided with a vertically disposed admission chamber 47 in communication with the side duct 48, the duct passing outwardly through a screw threaded side nipple .49 fitted with a jam nut 50. 51 represents a vertically disposed spindle having the lower end passing through a suitable .stufiing box 52 applied on the casting and fitted at the lower extremity with an extending rib 5.3 in the nature of, a screw driver, the rib being designed to pass into the cross'slot formed in the screw plug 39. The spindle is provided with 'a lever 54 and the screw plug is designed to slide within the chamber 47.

In filling the flask this casting is screw threaded to the nipple 31 and the air supply pipe 55 is attached to the nipple 49 and the air is forced into the flask under pressure, the screw plug 39 at this time being up. After the flask has been properly filled the spindle is forced down and the plug is screwed into place by turning the spindle while the lug is within the slot in the head of the plug 39. Once this action is accomplished the casting is unscrewed and the top of the nipple 31 is sealed over such as by soldering.

The above completes the description of the parts and they are shown as in the inert position. v

When the extinguisher is to beset up for use the sealed air flask charged with the compressed air is screwed to the-collar of the cap 6 and is then inserted through the neck of the container into the same. The container is then filled with the fire extinguishing liquid such as calcium chlorid solution and afterward the cap 6 is screwed down into its final position, care being taken that the lower end of the flask is seated in the socket 9. I

At this point I wish it-to be particularly noted that the air flask is entirely immersed within the solution and further that the solution completely fills the outer container. When charged in this way and set up and sealed, all that it is necessary for one to'do, to put the extinguisher into action, is to break the seal and strike down the lever. When the lever is struck down the piercing point pierces the diaphragm and liberates the air which then escapes from the flask into the container and expels the extinguishing solution through the pipe, hose and nozzle.

At this point I wish it to be noted that as soon as the lever is released the spring 21 returns it to its ori inal position and clears the piercing point rom the diaphragm and also that the flow of air is notdependent on the area of the hole punctured by the piercing oint but directly dependent on the cross sectional area of the outlet port 34. Accordingly the discharge of air is positively controlled.

Attention is drawn to the following important features of this extinguisher. There 1s no possibility oi corrosion of the metal parts as there is no air within the container free to combine with the calcium chlorid or any similar solution which might be used.

.Further there is no chemical action taking place when the machlne is inert so that at no time does it have to withstand excessive pressure, that is pressure greater than that for which it was designed.

' of gas without any external. or visible Sig:

with the'result that the machine may practically useless when wanted.

Further in this latter type of appliance the parts are subjected to the eatest strain when the gas is evolved an there is the probability of fracture especially where the metallic parts have become old and robably corroded. With my device the f dregoing troubles are avoided as will readily be grasped from the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the fact that my extinguisher is under maximum pressure when inert and that the pressure gradually decreases when it is in actlon.

In connection with the pressure, I may say that I consider that the tank should be tested to withstand a pressure of approximately 400 pounds per square inch while the flask is tested to withstand a pressure of 1200 pounds per square inch.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination with an outer container and an inner container suspended within the outer container and provided with a sealed outlet port, of a cap closing the Outer container, a plunger slidably mounted in the cap and provided at the inner end with a piercing point, a spring pressed pivoted lever attached to the plunger and normally holding the piercing point thereof elevated above the seal, a locking bar pivotally attached to the lever and engaging the top side of the cap and normally preventing movement of the lever and a sealing wire preventing movement of the bar.

2. he combination with an outer container and an inner container suspended within the outer container and provided with a sealed outlet port, of a cap closing the outer container, 9. plunger slidably mounted in the cap and provided at the inner end -with apiercing point, a spring pressed pivoted lever atached to the plunger and normally holding the iercin point thereof elevated above the sea a 100 ing bar pivotally atached to the lever and engaging the top side of the cap and normally preventing movement of the lever, a sealing wire preventing movement of the bar and a spring attached to the locking bar and adapted to withdraw the bar to release the lever upon the wire bein broken.

Signed at Vinnipeg, this 27th day of March 1917. I

WILLIAM JACOB THOMPSON.

In the presence of G. S. BOXBURGH, Roman Fos'ran. 

